![]() If you don’t know, White Buffalo is a white stone with black “char”. He needs White Buffalo for a different look. He explains that he has expanded his jewelry into department stores where typical blue turquoise jewelry may not go with all clothing. When Yasu arrives, he tells the Otteson's that he has not come just for their quality turquoise stones. I think it is really neat that this American art form has become so popular overseas and is really a testament to the talent and quality of the Native American jewelry artists. American turquoise is the most sought after in the world so it’s no surprise that some of these designers come to the United States to pick out their own stones. ![]() Turquoise jewelry is phenomenally popular in Japan, so much so that many of the top Native American jewelry artists have moved to Japan to open their own stores. The fact that a Japanese designer is one of the Otteson’s best customers is not a surprise. Obviously, the Otteson family wants to please him with their selection. Yasu comes to the United States looking for the highest-quality turquoise to use in his designer jewelry. They explain that he comes every few years and that his visit can turn into a $200,000 day for the Otteson's. The plot of this first episode involves one of the Otteson’s best customers, Yasutomo Kodera, coming all the way from Japan to purchase turquoise stones. It is quite amazing to watch this mining operation unfold. Fortunately, no one was hurt and they were able to continue working. They did show one particular accident with one of their large excavators. This work is done in remote areas sometimes hours away from the nearest hospital and far out of cell phone service. Besides the dynamite, some of the Otteson's will use heavy excavation machinery while others break apart boulders with sledgehammers or pickaxes. It’s remarkable how dangerous this operation is. After an explosion, they search through the crater for turquoise pieces or veins that they can further excavate. They must carefully gauge the size and place of the explosions in order to not destroy the precious material they are hunting for. ![]() The show explains that these miners use dynamite to blow open areas where they believe veins of turquoise exist. Suddenly one of these small mountains erupts in a tremendous slow-motion explosion. The first few scenes show the vast emptiness of the Nevada desert with only hills, small mountains, and rock formations as far as the eye can see. The first episode of Turquoise Fever starts with a bang, literally. Finding the high-grade stones that Gary uses in his jewelry can be difficult but the Otteson's are always a reliable and trusted source. Turquoise Fever was especially interesting for us at Stagecoach because Gary gets a lot of his stones from the Otteson's and has met them on many different occasions. Royston Turquoise has a lovely variation between blue and green with a brown matrix. Their claims encompass many different mines, including one of our personal favorites, Royston Turquoise. It follows the Otteson family in Tonopah, Nevada, who have owned a number of turquoise mines for three generations. For those of us who are obsessed with turquoise jewelry, a brand new show has debuted on the INSP channel called Turquoise Fever. ![]()
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